Having a health immune system is necessary to maintain overall health and wellness.

In addition to the precautions that we know we must all take such as wearing a face mask, frequent hand washing, and following social distancing guidelines from local leaders, there are still ways you can improve your immune system that are under your every day control.

We use the term Immune System when referring to the body’s components that work together to defend the body against threats from the outside world. The Immune system is actually comprised of several different components.

Components of the Human Immune System

Skin

Healthy healthy skin is a very important part of your immune system. your skin provides a physical barrier to the outside world. Your skin actually has immune cells built into it that help decide what’s threats and what is not. The skin separates your muscles, fat, blood vessels from the world it is often your first line barrier against infectious threats. Your skin produces compounds such as fatty acids to help defend against microbial threats. Your skin also serves as a host to various bacteria and fungi that work with your body to defend against pathogens that can cause infection.

Respiratory tract

Your respiratory tract has the main function of getting oxygen into the system and getting carbon dioxide out. We often forget that certain parts of your respiratory tract are often your Frontline defense against infectious threats. Your nose contains small hairs that help filter out debris. Your sinus cavities also container system to help filter out and contain debris. Finally within the airways of your lung they’re very small hairs called cilia that move out debris and hopefully infectious material. Coughing is the respiratory system way of eliminating threats that have made it into the lungs.

Digestive system

We often forget that our digestive system is incredibly important in our immune system. The acid within your stomach is able to destroy many bacteria and even viruses. You’re digestive system also has immune cells built within it that constantly scan your body for threats.

Immune system

Finally, circulating within your bloodstream, within lymph nodes, contained within organs including the skin and digestive tract are the cells of your immune system. This is one of the most interesting parts of the body to me. The immune system is compliant mostly of white blood cells. These cells are further split into neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, natural killer cells, eosinophils and basophils. Many of these cells are highly intelligent. They live for several decades and maintain data on infectious threats. Some of these cells maintain the job of producing the labels that identify threat that we call antibodies. Other cells are part of your assault which is the day actually going and kill the threat.

What your immune system needs to stay healthy

Your immune system is a highly capable system that accomplishes amazing feats every second of the day. When it does its job well you don’t even notice it’s there. The cells in your body sample the air you breathe, the food and water you take in, as well as your overall environment for threats. Your immune system can actually accomplish amazing things beyond fighting viruses and bacteria. You’re immune system surveys your body for abnormal growth, or early cancers and takes them down before they become a real threat.

Stress and the Immune System

Stress plays a key role in how every aspect of your immune system functions. There’s actually a certain amount of stress that’s beneficial to your overall immune system and provides just the right amount of challenge to help it become stronger. One example of this is intentional exercise. When you exercise you challenge your cardiovascular system, and your muscles. They will start a chemical cascade that will feed back to your bone marrow that will later create healthier, stronger immune cells. Exercise will also help your adrenal glands function better and not overproduce cortisol.

When you are under stress, your body tends to perceive stress in a number of ways. There are certain parts of the brain that are often thought of as the”lower” brain or lizard brain. These parts of the brain correspond to the limbic system and brain stem that operate your organs. When you perceive stress as interpreted by the higher brain or the frontal lobes the lower brain responds by turning key systems in your body on to get ready for an attack. This includes tuning your adrenal glands to produce more stress hormones. Chronic exposure to this leads to high cortisol levels which will inadvertently decrease the white blood cells ability to function.

If you are experiencing high levels of stress right now it may seem contrary to practice mindfulness. However, this is exactly the time that you want to do that. Your mindfulness practice can take on a number of forms. Here are some quick recommendations that you can start at any moment of your day to help lower your stress levels and let your immune system do it as it was designed to do.

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Quick Immunity Boosters

3 Minutes of Breath work

Wherever you are you can stop whether you’re standing, sitting at your desk, or even parked in your car. Inhale to the count of five and exhale to the count of five. Do the cycle for 1 to 3 minutes.

Essential oils

If you’re already using essential oils, keeping a small stock with you throughout your day is a perfect way to calm your nervous system and boost your immunity. Many essential oils are very safe, and using them by inhalation throughout your day is a good way to remind yourself to take a deep breath while you inhale all the benefits. Here are the oils I’d recommend to improve your immunity, especially during flu season and the pandemic:

• Lavender: can be used without dilution and is relaxing in it’s scent.
• Tea Tree oil: potent anti-fungal, anti-viral as well good for making you feel peppy. I don’t recommend using without diluting in a carrier oil or a lotion.
• Patchouli: this is a nice, relaxing scent that you can put on your wrists and temples for stress relief.
• Frankincense: This is good for everything, can be used without dilution, and is also a nice oil to use during the season change. I like to apply directly to my joints in the mornings before doing Yoga.
• Manuka: this essential oil can be a little harder to find, but is safe to use topically and helps to open up your airways.

You should be aware of the products you are using on your skin. With increasing amounts of hand washing and using hand sanitizer, your skin may be more prone to inflammation and breakdown. When you purchase products for skin care, start reading the labels. If there is a long list of ingredients you can’t identify, it may be time to switch to a product with less ingredients.

Mind Reset

Your mind is a power driver of your immune system’s function. Its easier said than done to control y our thoughts, however, in the times we live in, is worth your effort to control and even eliminate your negative thoughts. You can control negative thoughts a few ways:

• Do you need to watch the news so much?
  • Stay informed, but at some point, what we see in the media can program us to see only the worse around us. Consider limiting how much news you take in.
• Journaling
  • Start a journal, or use your journal to write out all the thoughts that may circulate through your head. After your write those down, read them and question if they are really true.
• Taking the time to care for yourself is invaluable. We are learning so much about what’s contagious, and hopefully, we can spread calm, peace and health in this time.